Against the Light - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: The White Lotus
Gu Xinran opened her eyes, her expression gradually turning solemn. A chill crept up from the depths of her heart. No wonder the original host had acted so impulsively, regardless of the occasion. Even she felt a surge of anger hearing those words.
She looked at Luo Bing's photo again, finding it impossible to connect the pure, sweet-looking girl before her with the one from her memories who had uttered such words.
She put her phone down, leaned back against the chair, and recalled the scene in her mind.
Luo Bing must have known the original host inside and out. She knew she was still in love with her ex-wife, and she knew about her impulsive, quick-tempered nature. That's why she dared to provoke her so openly.
And she had hidden it so perfectly. At the time, her back was to the camera when she said it, and her voice was so low that no one heard or saw a thing. All anyone saw was one scene: Gu Xinran hitting someone.
There was no way she could clear her name in this matter.
What's more, there was no evidence pointing to Luo Bing now, and no one would believe the words of a has-been artist who had faded into obscurity. Any attempt to defend herself would be seen as maliciously seeking clout, only making her situation worse.
As she stared at Luo Bing's photo just now, a few other fragments of memory had flashed through her mind.
She gradually came to understand that the animosity between the original host and Luo Bing hadn't started overnight. The thing that infuriated the original host the most was that the original song Luo Bing had used to win first place on the talent show was a love confession written for her ex-wife. At the time, the original host's career was stagnating. After Luo Bing shot to fame overnight, her fans began to frantically ship them as a couple, editing fan videos of the two of them. Although Luo Bing came forward to stop it, it was only a superficial gesture.
The company thought it was a good selling point and recommended Luo Bing to sing the theme song for her new drama.
After that, the original host's jealousy boiled over, and she began relentlessly targeting Luo Bing, causing her own popularity and reputation to plummet day by day.
Meanwhile, Luo Bing presented two different faces—one in public and one in private. The original host, with her impulsive and irritable nature, was no match for her.
Especially after the divorce, her hatred for Luo Bing, who had interfered in their relationship, became bone-deep. She was always looking for opportunities to cause trouble for her, and now, she had taken another spectacular fall.
After recalling all this, Gu Xinran let out a long breath.
Deeply scheming and incredibly calculating.
That was her assessment of Luo Bing after understanding their history of grievances.
She rubbed her forehead, feeling a little puzzled. How could it be such a coincidence that Luo Bing just happened to be on the variety show she was joining?
She scrolled through her WeChat history. Qu Qi hadn't mentioned Luo Bing. It was possible she didn't know beforehand that Luo Bing would be participating. Besides, she had already reviewed the show's schedule and script, and the guests' names weren't mentioned.
Given Gu Xinran's current situation, any variety show she could get on wouldn't be a big-name production. Luo Bing should have looked down on it. Her condescending to participate was rather intriguing—unless she had made up her mind to use this opportunity to crush her completely.
Gu Xinran pondered for a long while. It was too late to worry about that now. The most pressing matter at hand was how this incident would develop.
In her past life, she hadn't liked to concern herself with industry matters; her manager, Fang Yi, handled all of it.
Fang Yi was a crafty old veteran. She knew all the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. In her words, "When the other side so much as lifts a butt cheek, I know what kind of crap they're about to pull."
Fang Yi had also frequently forced her to listen to lectures about these tactics, just in case she ever fell into a trap, so she could cut her losses in time.
She stood up and paced around the room, trying to analyze the whole affair from Fang Yi's perspective. Fang Yi would usually assume the worst-case scenario.
Since Luo Bing had resorted to such tactics, it meant she must have a thorough plan in place—a plan to utterly crush her.
So, her next step probably wouldn't be to appear herself or be on the front lines. Perhaps she would stir things up from the shadows, calling on her fans to frantically boycott Gu Xinran, using the public to drive her out of the entertainment industry.
That was the most conventional approach.
Gu Xinran shook her head. With Luo Bing's calculating and scheming nature, she wouldn't use such an ordinary tactic.
There was a more sophisticated method.
Luo Bing could come forward to speak on her behalf, defending and explaining for her, turning a major incident into a minor one and then into nothing at all. By quelling the storm, she would gain both fame and fortune.
If that really happened, she, Gu Xinran, might as well give up on surviving in this industry.
Because she would forever be branded with the title of a pitiable wretch, living humbly under the shadow of Luo Bing's benevolence.
At this thought, a chill ran down Gu Xinran's spine, and she straightened her back slightly.
She missed Fang Yi a little. Fang Yi was the best at dealing with this kind of white lotus.
Unfortunately, there was no Fang Yi here, and the only person she could rely on was herself.
She considered all the possible developments. For now, her only counter-strategy was to retreat in order to advance.
At this, she sighed helplessly, tidied herself up a bit, then opened her phone and found the video recording function.
She let her long hair, which she usually tied up, fall loosely over her back. She even changed into a very conservative black shirt and washed off all her makeup, appearing on camera with a bare face. Facing the lens, she spoke calmly.
【Hello everyone, I am Gu Xinran. I sincerely apologize for my unwise action of physically harming someone today, and for my impulsive and reckless behavior. I also apologize to Ms. Luo Bing. I will bear all of Ms. Luo Bing's expenses during her hospitalization, including corresponding compensation for emotional distress, as a token of my remorse.】
【Violence is never the right way to solve a problem. I hope all netizens will take this as a cautionary tale.】
【I solemnly promise here that I will never act impulsively again, much less resort to physical violence. I hope everyone will supervise and correct me.】
【I am once again deeply sorry for taking up public resources.】
The video ended with a deep bow.
After finishing the recording, she fumbled a bit to upload the video to Weibo, then set her phone aside and paid it no more mind.
She went to the closet and searched for a long time, only finding one relatively modest nightgown. Holding it up, she was filled with emotion. Although she was only twenty-four physically, mentally, she was almost seventy. Was it really okay to wear a lacy slip that didn't even cover her thighs?
After a long internal struggle, she finally convinced herself and took the nightgown to the bathroom.
While showering, she did her best to keep her eyes straight ahead and didn't dare touch her own body much, letting the water wash over her as she stood ramrod straight, like a wooden plank.
It was too weird. Occupying someone else's body, washing someone else's body… The feeling was just too bizarre!!!
But… the original host's figure was actually quite good. She accidentally touched her lower abdomen and found her skin was firm, without a trace of fat. It was clear the original host paid close attention to maintaining her figure.
After a while, just standing there didn't seem right. She agonized for a long time before apologizing to the original host in her mind and quickly finishing the battle.
After her shower, she went to sleep with a clear conscience, unaware that her apology video had once again set the internet ablaze.
Gu Xinran's Weibo comment section was instantly flooded. The top comments were a stream of question marks. Onlookers all expressed that this was something you only see once in a lifetime. She had done so many outrageous things before, and every single time, someone else had to clean up her mess. What was different this time?
In her office, Qu Qi's eyes were wide as she stared at Gu Xinran in the video, playing it over and over again. She felt like she was seeing a ghost. She actually apologized? And she took the initiative to do it with a video? If her personality hadn't completely changed, then she must have been cursed!
At this thought, Qu Qi looked at the contract termination papers in her hand and even felt a little scared.
Early in the morning.
"Little Fairy, the princess has been captured by the great demon king!"
"Little Fairy, the princess has been captured by the great demon king!"
"Little Fairy…"
Gu Xinran's eyes snapped open. She stared blankly at the ceiling, her ears filled with the shouting of a cartoonish doll-like voice.
She was a bit dazed, not yet registering where she was. Following the sound, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The noise was coming from a square digital clock on the bedside table.
She glanced at the time: five-thirty on the dot.
Stretching, she sat up and tapped the digital clock, turning off the alarm.
She sat quietly against the headboard for a moment, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
She had been dreaming all night, constantly seeing scenes of the original host and her wife together. Although she could only make out their general outlines, they were so sweet when they were together. In the words of young people, it was like being force-fed a whole night of public displays of affection.
She got up, washed her face, and fumbled with the oven to toast a slice of bread.
After breakfast, she went downstairs for a walk, breathing in the fresh air and moving her body. After a full day and night, she was finally starting to adapt to and accept this body. At the very least, when she washed her face this morning, touching her own face no longer felt as awkward as touching a stranger's.
At eight o'clock sharp, Gu Xinran was ready. She had changed into a slim-fit, navy blue shirt with the cuffs and collar turned out to reveal milky-white trim, a pair of white trousers, and a camel-colored trench coat. Her long hair was loose, draped over her shoulders. She carried an exquisite handbag, just big enough for her phone.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt very fortunate. In her past life, Yilan had loved designing clothes for her and paid close attention to trends in the fashion world. This had made her more sensitive to clothing and style, and her fashion sense had always been good.
She slipped on a pair of low-heeled black pumps and headed out.
She had already adapted to this body, and her steps were light and graceful, unlike the slight clumsiness from before.
From reading her chat history with Qu Qi yesterday, she had realized her current situation. Basically, no work would be coming her way. That was fine. She wasn't familiar enough with this world yet; there were too many things she still needed to figure out. She was especially curious about this world's entertainment industry and was planning to go to the film base to observe and learn.
Since the original host was also an artist and had her own representative works, she would probably run into people she knew at the film base. Perhaps she could even recover more of the original host's memories.
Gu Xinran mulled it over for a moment, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. That's right, she also needed to find a chance to meet Luo Bing. She was incredibly curious about this woman. She wanted to see her in person, to see what kind of person she really was and how she had managed to fool everyone, disguising herself as a pure and innocent white lotus!
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